


Love Coupon

by Vitavili



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, BFSecretSanta2019, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Christmas Fluff, Class reunion, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-18 16:06:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21930136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vitavili/pseuds/Vitavili
Summary: 24th of December. Class reunion.Seems like just yesterday they were sitting almost at the same place together, but actually, seven years have passed since they graduated the school. Now their lives, dreams, and goals are different.Aslan lifts his eyes and Eiji quickly looks away. It’s childish. He shouldn’t have come after all. That blond man is both - the reason why Eiji wanted to be here and the reason he didn't.-------------------------------------"Eiji, let's celebrate Christmas together?”In his hand, Aslan is holding a small card with the wordsLove couponon it. Eiji stares for a bit longer, trying to figure out how Aslan managed to keep it in this perfect condition for all those years. Why did he decide to bring it here tonight? Because he knew Eiji's answer?-------------------------------------25th of December, 7 years ago.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 12
Kudos: 121





	Love Coupon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mangra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mangra/gifts).



> My first time participating in the Christmas Gift exchange event! I was very excited! Also, this is the second time for me in the Banana Fish exchange , and I'm already so looking forward to next one! :3
> 
> Merry Christmas, Mangra! (╯3╰) I'm glad I was your Secret Banana Santa! I wish you the best 2020! Let's make it a year of Asheiji and the fluff, for your heart! I was looking through your fics again and came up with this idea. I tried to make it as fluffy as my angsty heart can (of course with a bit of spice)! I hope I succeeded (・ε・｀)

* * *

_24th of December_

* * *

_It’s okay, you can do it._ Eiji takes a deep sigh before opening the door to the busy pub.

“Yoooooo!!” 

A cheerful voice greets him from across the room, and a huge wave of noises follows after it, making the smile lift till flushed cheeks. Eiji rushes to the table, at the same time taking off his gloves, hat, and scarf. 

“Hey! I’m sorry for coming so late! Traffic is horrible…” Eiji greets everyone then hangs his coat next to others and takes a free seat next to Bones. Hands are still a bit stiff from freezing cold outside. 

Nobody cares about his excuses, most of the girls run to Eiji for a hug, some guys greet him raising a glass of beer or a pat on the shoulder. They try to say something talking over each other, so Eiji just sits with a nostalgic smile. It’s a little bit strange but unexpectedly pleasant to find all his friends at the table. Time to time they meet each other in smaller groups, but the last time they gathered like this was during a high school graduation party. Seems like just yesterday they were sitting almost at the same place together, but actually, seven years have passed.

“How’s life going, President? I’m glad you were able to come after all!” Sing loudly shouts from the other side of the table asking for attention, and Eiji waves him back. 

He was a school council president back then, that’s how all of them from different grades met and later became friends. Eiji can’t disagree, they all have changed. Now their lives, dreams, and goals are different. 

_Ah. Right. There he is. One and only._

Aslan is sitting next to his best friend Shorter, laughing from some joke that Cain and Lao were putting a bit too much effort to tell. Yue-Lung next to Lao is about to hit him soon.

Aslan is the only one who didn’t greet Eiji. 

_How else._

“Eiji!” 

Shorter raises the glass when he spots Eiji looking at their side.

At the same moment, Aslan lifts his eyes and Eiji quickly looks back at the menu in front of him. It’s childish. He shouldn’t have come after all.

That blond man is both. The reason why Eiji wanted to come and the reason why he didn't. 

Eiji grips the menu harder between his fingers. 

For more than an hour, Eiji feels too distracted by others to pay the attention to Aslan. He enjoys the beer and shares snacks, listens to friends’ stories and laughs together from jokes. But as time passes, Eiji catches himself staring at Aslan’s side more and more often. That’s not how it should be. And even though everyone tries their best to get Eiji’s attention, he can’t take the tension anymore. 

“Hey, where are you going?” Alex blinks, when Eiji suddenly stands up, leaving his third glass of beer half full.

“Restroom,” he grins.

Nobody suspects him lying about it. 

Eiji takes the coat before leaving. It’s too crowded around for someone to notice.

At first, Eiji wants to call the taxi and go home, but that would be disrespectful towards his friends. Eiji ends up outside on the stairs at the back of the pub. It started snowing heavily and he has to hide the nose in the scarf and hands in the coat pockets.

Eiji is acting like a child coming outside here and just sitting in this wintry weather. Maybe because of the beer or the situation itself, but it’s just too much to be with Aslan at the same table. 

And what’s the most annoying - it doesn’t seem that Aslan cares about this at all.

“Mind if I sit next to you?” soft words pierce the air. “Don’t you feel cold?”

 _What?_

Eiji was drawing circles with his shoe on the fresh snow, when this voice made him stop and curl up into his scarf even more. 

He doesn’t answer.

And Aslan, of course, doesn’t wait for permission. After a moment he's already sitting next to Eiji.

“I thought you won’t come today.” Aslan makes a pause, as Eiji with his last strengths tries not to glance at him. “Is it because of me?

 _Unbelievable. Because of him? Why should he?_ Eiji wants to laugh at Aslan’s face and show him the middle finger, but once he lifts the head at the man, all words hanging on the tip of the tongue disappear. Aslan’s face framed by dancing snowflakes seems too kind, soft. Beautiful. Angelic.

Eiji scans Aslan’s unbuttoned long grey coat and naked neck. He doesn’t even bother to wear a hat. And he asks how Eiji is not cold? _Aslan wants to catch a cold, obviously._

“How about we talk, Eiji?” Aslan suggests, but it almost sounds as if he’s insisting. “We can talk as we don’t know anything about each other, you know… if you want to continue pretending. For example, I’m a professor at Cornell University. And you?”

He’s openly making fun of Eiji and honestly makes the situation even worse. Eiji wants to answer that he doesn’t have any clue how an idiot like Aslan became a professor, but instead only mutters something. It doesn't even sound like an actual phrase but makes Aslan cover his lips hiding the smile. _This man._ Eiji turns his eyes away again. _Can he just go away?_ Eiji came here first!

“Can I still use this?” Aslan again bless the air with the power of his soft voice.

They sit a few minutes in silence.

Eiji doesn’t want to look at the man but Aslan leans a little bit forward and Eiji doesn’t really have another choice, just follow the instincts. He doesn’t fully lift his eyes, only looks to Aslan's side.

The golden ring on Aslan’s left-hand fourth finger almost shines in the dark. Snowflakes fall on it and instantly melts like the ring has some sort of unbreakable power. A lot has changed indeed. Between his fingers, Aslan is holding a small card with the words _Love coupon_ on it. Eiji stares for a bit longer, trying to figure out how Aslan managed to keep it in this perfect condition for all those years.

_Why did he decide to bring it here tonight?_

“Eiji.” Aslan continues talking to himself. “Let’s celebrate Christmas together?”

It seems like not only Eiji came here expecting something.

* * *

_25th of December, 7 years ago._

* * *

From the moment when Eiji’s mother, father, and sister decided to go back to Japan for holidays and Ash told that his parents will be out to some big Christmas party at friends’ place, Eiji couldn’t stop thinking about this day to come. 

The boy was a bit nervous, even though they were dating for two years already, since the 10th grade. Ash’s and Eiji’s relationship wasn’t problematic at all, their parents were aware of it and supported as much as they could. They often had dinner at each other's place, stayed for a sleepover on Friday or Saturday night.

But that year it was their first Christmas together. _Alone._

Eiji spent 3 hours on face call with Yue-Lung asking him for advice what to wear and ended the call only when Sing suddenly appeared on the screen half-naked with his cheerful greeting ‘ _Hey, president, what’s up??_ ’ Eiji choked on the water, and Yue-Lung said he had to end the call because he and Sing were going on a date. Eiji tried not to think of a reason why Sing was half naked if they were going out. Either way, he also had to leave soon.

Ash was living in a house and not in a small apartment as Eiji did. Mostly because of this reason, they decided that Eiji stays at Ash’s place on Christmas day, coming just before the sunset. On his way to a suburban area, Eiji was chatting with Bones and Alex just to keep himself distracted from excitement. 

When the boy got off the bus, Ash was already waiting. Seeing him with the unbuttoned coat, naked neck and hands without gloves, made Eiji’s first expression for Ash very pouty. Ash laughed letting out bubbles of hot air and hugged Eiji’s warm face with cold palms.

“Hey…” he left a kiss on the tip of Eiji’s nose and divinely smiled.

“Hold this.” With the same expression, Eiji stuffed a box he was holding into Ash’s hands and started buttoning his coat. “If I see you with opened coat and without a scarf one more time…” he muttered, trying to be intimidating.

“My house is literally one minute away from here.” Ash sighed but didn’t stop Eiji. There was no reason to lie, he loved getting attention. “What’s in the box?”

“My mom made some cupcakes…” Eiji tried not to smile and keep being angry but failed very fast.

Ash’s lived in two floors white house, for Eiji's standards, it was a whole mansion. During the summers they had a beautiful garden all around the place, but now it was covered in piles of snow and a bunch of Christmas decorations, like, fake chubby gnomes, Santa claus, and colorful lights. Exactly like every other house in this street, maybe even a little bit more extra than the rest.

“Father and Griffin totally overdid it.” Ash rolled eyes, going towards the door, while Eiji was taking pictures. “Hey, it’s cold! Come on.” Ash urged holding the box in one hand and the door opened, waiting for his boyfriend to finish taking pictures. Eiji was not even nearly done but gave up after seeing Ash’s face.

“And who’s fault is that?” Eiji ran towards him and pushed in. 

“Hey, Eiji! Merry Christmas!” Griffin waived going down the stairs wearing a sweater with reindeers.

“Merry Christmas, Griff!”

Eiji slowly waved back with a smile and took off his shoes. He was kind of expecting to spend some time alone with Ash, but Griffin’s company was also always welcomed.

“Oh, what’s that?” Griffin was reaching the box with cupcakes on the shelf next to the door, but Ash quickly slapped his hand.

“No, that’s for me.” 

“I never said it’s for you…” Eiji shrugged and Griff caught Ash unprepared for an attack. He hugged little brother around the neck and lowered his head, making a mess of the blond hair.

“Griffin!! Let go!” Ash yelled, tried to release himself, but it was useless. Eiji saw how Ash is trying to hold back the smile. 

After a few intense minutes and Eiji’s cheering, Ash managed to escape and hide behind his Japanese boyfriend, restless. His hair reminded Eiji of the bird’s nest, but the boy tried to remain calm in front of Ash’s older brother.

“I’m going out with Max and Sergei,” Griff announced putting on the shoes and the coat. “I will stay over at Max’s place, sooooo be safe boys!” 

Before leaving he opened the box and took one cupcake.

Eiji wasn’t sure what kind of meaning Griffin had with _safe_ , but his cheeks instantly flushed. Eiji nodded like a good boy. Ash hissed at leaving Griffin, but as soon as the door closed, he took Eiji’s hand and another one wrapped around his waist. His face changed instantly.

“You didn’t say Merry Christmas to me,” he complained with a bit offended face.

“I thought you said Christmas is too cheesy, and that’s why we’re not exchanging presents.” 

Eiji softly reminded who was the only one here actually excited about Christmas. Ash oddly remained silent, while Eiji tried to make an order of that mess on his head. Ash’s hair was so fun to play with, color, softness and length, there was nothing Eiji wanted to change about it.

“I just didn’t want you to spend money on Christmas presents,” Ash admitted something that Eiji already knew.

Ash had a lot of money, and Eiji’s situation was way different. Ash knew that Eiji would feel very uncomfortable if he couldn't give the same value gift in return. 

“You’re good to go, Miss America,” Eiji smirked walking toward the living room. During the summer he stayed over so many times, that this place became like a second home.

Eiji froze next to the doorstep. He was expecting something similar, but what he saw was beyond it. The top of the stunningly decorated Christmas tree was almost touching the high ceilings. Pile of presents under it and red socks hanging above the fireplace - the American dream Christmas. Eiji also couldn’t take his eyes off the large fluffy warm looking white carpet on the floor and all those pillows on the couch with Christmas prints.

“No one was able to stop Jennifer.” Ash scoffed going through the room to the kitchen with cupcakes. “You want something? Cacao?”

“Cacao.” Eiji smiled widely and sat down on the carpet. 

The material was so soft, almost asking to lay down and roll on it. Eiji loved this atmosphere. Crackling fire sounds from the fireplace, gingerbread and cinnamon smell in the air and snowy dusk outside.

Ash came back after a few minutes with a huge mug. He turned off the main light keeping only the fireplace and colorful Christmas lights for them to see each other.

“You’re not drinking?” the boy wondered, taking the mug from beloved hands when Ash sat down in front of him.

“We’ll share of course.” 

Ash made it obvious, only confirming that Eiji was right. Ash also wanted this day to be special for both of them. Eiji’s lips softly lifted upward. He carefully placed the mug between them and reached for Ash’s cheek. The skin under Eiji’s fingers was slightly burning.

“You look beautiful today…” Ash murmured hugging Eiji’s hand on the face with his.

“Only today you say?” Eiji rubbed Ash’s bottom lip with the thumb still keeping the smile. He spent a lot of time choosing this outfit, but it’s too embarrassing to say.

“You know what I mean…” Ash wasn’t able to finish the sentence.

“I know…” Eiji didn’t need to hear the ending, he perfectly knew and was just teasing. Ash seemed a bit tense and Eiji still tried to figure out why.

They shared cacao holding hands in cozy silence. Ash was sliding closer and closer towards Eiji until he enslaved the boy between the legs and hands. Eiji made sure to place the cup a little bit further from the carpet. 

Here he was, Eiji’s beloved attention-seeking kitten. 

“Eiji…” Ash rested the head on Eiji’s shoulder and squeezed his sweater between fingers harder. “I was thinking… we’re graduating in the summer… where do you plan to go to study? Japan?” he was talking quietly, more like purring, tickling Eiji’s neck with the hot breath.

Eiji heard worries in Ash’s voice. He told Eiji a few days ago, that he had the talk with parents about his future plans. _Is that why?_

“Why Japan? I was thinking of applying here in New York, you know… journalism or photography major.” Eiji was sure of it for some time already, but Ash always avoided topics about the future before.

“Really?” he lifted head seeking to read the truth in Eiji’s eyes.

“Is everything alright?”

“I had a weird dream… a few months ago. About you leaving to Japan just before Christmas. I had to come with you, but I didn’t make to the airport. It was snowing and freezing, and I went to the library because---”

“Library?? To study for finals?”

Eiji tried so hard, but still giggled and Ash instantly stopped talking, realizing how stupid his words sounded. 

_Could it be the reason why Ash didn’t want to call this a Christmas date?_ _Because of some dream?_ Isn’t this a bit too childish and very adorable? This side of soft Ash that no one knew.

“It was a very realistic dream.” he tried to defend himself.

“Maybe it was your past life… or parallel universe, who knows.” Eiji spoke with the voice of a prophet.

Ash’s jade eyes remained sad, so Eiji hugged him around the neck and softly touched the forehead with his.

"Aslan, listen. No matter what, in this life, I’m not leaving you. And it’s not a dream. This Christmas and until my last one, we’ll be together. Can’t you tell, Ash, from the day we met?”

Their relationship was a bit strange in a sense, that Eiji and Ash never acted like two stupid teenagers hungry for physical contact. Their feelings were based on trust, mutual share, and believe. Like for real, their souls knew each other from somewhere long ago. One lost soul found another.

“I can’t imagine my life without you, Eiji. Stay with me, and not only for this moment.”

“Forever.” Eiji took a deep breath when after this word, lungs filled up with the incredible warmth. 

Ash tenderly kissed Eiji’s forehead and their eyes met. Aslan’s smile illuminated by the light of the fire was so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness. For a split second everything around Eiji stopped, Ash eyes pierced through some very sensitive spot inside the heart. The spot, that he had to heal.

Their lips softly connected sealing the promise, melted in the room, the world was disappearing around them. It made them feel like nothing else mattered. In the silence, them sharing all of their secrets, past life and parallel universe were laid bare, because the spark belonged only to them and only to now. At this moment, in this love, they were strong like never. They had a future.

“Merry Christmas, Aslan.”

“Merry Christmas, Eiji.”

They laid down on the fluffy carpet just like Eiji wanted and held each other talking sweet nothings. Until the fire went out, and all the warmth remained in their hearts.

“Do you want to go to sleep?” Eiji softly murmured, when Ash already for some time was just deeply breathing into Eiji’s chest in silence.

“Mmmm…” he mooed as an answer. “Oh, wait…” Ash raised his head and then crawled to the Christmas tree. “It’s for you.” he turned around with a simple white plastic bag in his hand.

_Who needs a shiny holiday bag, anyway._

“Hey, you said no Christmas presents…” Eiji had a feeling that something like that might happen.

“You have to take it. I and Shorter were almost kicked out from the store because staff thought we’re some punks who came to make fun.” 

Eiji reached the bag with a deep sigh but burst into pure joyful laughter, as soon as he found Nori2 limited edition pillow inside.

“Tell me you like it. It cost me a lot of nerves.” Ash almost begged, but after a moment smiled in relief when Eiji happily pressed the pillow against the chest. Eiji loved it not only because of Nori2, but because Ash went to the toy store for him.

“Thank you, Ash, I love it.” Eiji looked at his man, hiding the face until eyes with the pillow, so Ash wouldn’t see how strongly blushed cheeks were. “Also…. can you bring me a pen and a paper?”

  
  


“What are you writing there, a love letter?” Ash asked for the hundredth time, holding on Eiji’s pillow, while his boyfriend was at the table, working on some origami.

“Almost done.” Eiji made a big pause and then looked at Ash. “Okay…. give me your hand.” 

Eiji came back and placed on Ash’s opened palm a nicely folded card. Only with two words on it. _Love coupon_.

“Since…” Eiji started, while Ash just stared at the paper like a small miracle. “...you know what I like… I also know what you need sometimes.”

“You mean always?” Ash looked up with a wide heartwarming smile.

_Always, Ash._

* * *

_The present-day_

* * *

“So what do you say, Eiji?”

It seems that Aslan had enough of soundless answers, he grips Eiji’s scarf and makes him turn the head. Such brutal action, done with such care. Their eyes meet and Eiji breaks his silence vows in front that green emerald.

“Do I have a choice?” he finally mumbles.

Ash is using the coupon, after all, so Eiji must.

“Not really…” Ash agrees with a smile, melting stubborn ice in Eiji’s heart.

Ash's hand slides down Eiji’s arm washing away the snow and into the pocket, where their fingers meet. His hand is so cold. Eiji presses lips into a narrow line but doesn’t resist when Ash takes out his hand from the pocket and leaves a kiss on the golden ring on Eiji’s finger. 

“Are you still mad, baby?” Ash murmurs when Eiji barely holds back the smile this time.

“I am.”

“I’ll do it next time, I promise. Where would you go anyways? We live together.” Ash places Eiji’s palm on his cold cheek. Eiji finally reacts and slowly brushes the soft skin with the thumb.

“I’m aware of that. Thanks. We have been married for 5 years.”

“Mmmm…” Ash bites the bottom lip, obviously pleased by the sound from Eiji’s lips. “Best years of my life.” he leans even more until Eiji doesn’t have where to move anymore. 

Eiji is still angry. That makes him loudly sigh with puffy cheeks.

“I’m sorry?” Ash doesn’t give up, more and more confident about his victory.

“For a week, Ash. I waited a whole week for you to wash those dishes!”

Eiji shouted at Ash. He was holding back these words from the morning when he left to work slamming the door.

His husband is as annoying as he can be. Ash doesn’t even listen anymore, he stares only at Eiji’s lips, reaching for them with the whole body like a child for candy. And it’s not like Eiji can’t fight with him, even though he tries sometimes. 

Eiji breathes out giving up and their lips meet for a kiss. A few glasses of beer and the full day of resistance soon turns it into a hungry war of tongues. Eiji grabs on Ash’s coat trying not too loose at least this fight.

“Hey lovebirds! Made up already?! You can do this at home.” Cain’s voice makes them both shut down the game at the same time. “Come on, Alex wants to do shots!”

Ash stabs the man with a glare, and Eiji is glad that it’s cold and dark enough since his cheeks this time heat up definitely not from the wind. They must be gone for some time, if Cain came to search. Eiji stands up dragging Ash with himself and buttons up his coat even though they’re about to go inside.

“If I see you without a scarf one more time…” Eiji frowns with a worried face but receives only a kiss on the cheek.

“Then I’ll use the love coupon again.”

Aslan Jade Callenreese - Okumura is indeed a very very unfair man.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This the last chapter and fic I'm posting for this decade! I'm looking forward to writing for Banana Fish and maybe discovering other fandoms!
> 
> Happy Holidays, everyone! 
> 
> Tumblr: [vitavilichan](https://vitavilichan.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter: [Vitavili](https://twitter.com/Vitavilii)


End file.
